


Finded Fined Fine

by lalablue0



Series: 413am [9]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Batman and Robin (Comics)
Genre: Brotherly Bonding, Gen, Sibling Rivalry, Smol Jason Todd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:48:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28584501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalablue0/pseuds/lalablue0
Summary: Jason plays hide and seek with Tim.Jason has a mean left hook.Alfred makes Bruce sad.
Series: 413am [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017310
Comments: 9
Kudos: 94





	Finded Fined Fine

**Author's Note:**

> Once again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and liking and commenting. I can't tell you how much joy I get from your feedback.
> 
> Sorry for the tongue twisty title.

**

“Tim? Have you seen Jason?”

“I sent him to go hide,” Tim said then took another sip of coffee. His eyes were glued to the cell phone screen in his hand. 

Bruce looked at Tim, puzzled. “You’re playing hide and go seek?”

“He is.”

Bruce felt his eyebrows creep up his forehead. 

Tim finally looked to Bruce and shrugged. “What? I’ll go find him when I finish my coffee.” 

Bruce shut his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tim.”

Tim sighed and took a big gulp of his coffee before putting his phone in his pocket. “Fine.”

Bruce spent the next hour busying himself with research for a case when he spotted Tim pacing the hall outside his office. He heard Tim curse at his smartphone for being stupid. He knew that Tim would approach him when he was ready. 

Soon enough Tim announced his presence by clearing his throat. Bruce schooled his face as he took in the sight of his son. His hair was more disheveled than usual. And, were those cobwebs on his trousers, Bruce wondered as he watched Tim fidgeted ever so slightly. He would almost consider chuckling if it wasn’t for the look of panic in his features. 

Tim opened his mouth to speak but it seemed he still could not find the words he wanted. 

Bruce finally asked, “Can I help you?” 

Tim blanched before he inhaled deeply. “I can’t find Jason and I’ve looked everywhere I can think of including the attic and all the secret passages and I can’t track him because I can’t access the security feeds and I’m so sorry, B; it’s all my fault. Please don’t be mad,” Tim managed to spill out all in that single breath. He scrunched his face and closed his eyes as if he were preparing for a firing squad. After a moment he peeked one eye open. 

Bruce sat back in his leather wingback office chair and leveled a stern look at Tim. “So you’re telling me; you’ve lost your baby brother? Who I sent you to look for over an hour ago?”

Tim’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down in his throat and he squeaked out a feeble “Yes,” in response. 

Tim took a step toward Bruce’s desk and he could see tears welling up in Tim’s eyes. “I’m sorry, B. I just wanted to finish my coffee in peace. I’ve looked everywhere. Please let me access security from your system, I’m sure I’ll find him fast.”

“Come here,” Bruce motioned for Tim to round his desk. He pushed the office chair away from the desk and pointed to the leg space. 

Tim rounded the desk and looked to where Bruce pointed. Curled up in a little ball was Jason, fast asleep. Bruce stood as Tim’s facade crumbled and he broke down. Bruce gripped him tight as Tim quietly cried his apologies.

“I’m sorry Dad. I was selfish and just wanted him to go away. I should have just played hide and seek like he wanted.”

Bruce shushed him and said, “Yeah, you should have,” Bruce said, then added, “I probably shouldn’t have turned off your access to the security system and made you freak out like this.” 

Tim pulled away from Bruce, who wore a sheepish grin. Tim’s tears stopped and he sported a look of mock betrayal. “Oh, that’s cold. That’s cold,” Tim shook his head and huffed out a small chuckle. 

Tim looked back toward his sleeping brother and Bruce nudged him forward. Tim bent down and carefully gathered Jason in his arms. The five year old rubbed sleepily at his eyes. 

“You finded me. Yay!” Jason said lazily. 

“Yeah, Jaybird, I finded you,” Tim kissed the side of his face and carried Jason out of the office. 

  
  
  


***

Jason crawled up onto the sofa next to Damian. He stood on the cushion as he seemed to be considering his older brother. Jason drew back his hand and-

_ Smack. _

“Ow! What was that for?”

_ Smack. _

“Ow! Father, please control your child.”

“Jason,” Bruce sternly stated, “Stop hitting your brother.”

_ Smack. _

“Ow!”

“Hey! I saw that. I’m warning you, don’t do it again,” Bruce threatened .

_ Smack. _

Bruce leapt from his spot on the other side of the sofa and grabbed Jason roughly, pulling him away from Damian. “What has gotten into you tonight?” 

Jason began crying and pointing at Damian. “It’s his fault. It’s all his fault,” Jason moaned pitifully. 

Bruce looked over at Damian who feigned innocence. Bruce pulled Jason into his lap. “What’s his fault?”

Jason rubbed his eyes and cried out, “Dami won’t let me see Mama Talia.”

Bruce could only describe his immediate reaction to Jason’s comments as a glitch. He glitched. He knows that Jason continued to cry and blame Damian for his dilemma. Which was that he couldn’t see Talia. Strike that. Mama Talia. He knows that he was so very unprepared for this type of reaction to someone that he never heard mentioned before. 

Jason had pulled free from Bruce’s grip and stalked back over to Damian. Damian jumped over the back of the sofa, putting the large piece of furniture between them. Jason climbed onto the sofa and launched himself through the air at Damian. 

The scuffle broke Bruce free from whatever thoughts were niggling at the forefront of his mind. He jumped up and rounded the sofa. Bruce pulled Jason off of Damian. Damian, who had successfully blocked all but one of Jason’s tiny fists of fury from connecting to his face. The loud crack of a well placed left hook reverberated around the living room. Bruce knew the sound of nose being broken anywhere. Bruce plopped Jason on the sofa and gestured to him to stay before he turned his attention to Damian and his now bloody nose. 

“I heard you. You said - you said she can’t come see me. I hate you. I hate you,” Jason cried and shimmied off the sofa. He stuck out his tongue and ran from the room. 

Bruce and Damian watched as Jason rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. They listened as his little feet carried him up the stairs and the slam of his bedroom door. Bruce looked back to Damian and saw he wore a guilty face. 

“I called her for her birthday,” Damian offered. 

Bruce nodded in acknowledgement. He didn’t need to know the minutiae of the call to know that Jason must have overheard. 

“I only want to protect him,” Damian said softly. 

Bruce still had his hands on Damian’s face as he was interrupted from examining the damage Jason inflicted. He took the opportunity of Damian’s distraction to quickly push the crooked nose back in place. 

“Ow!”

Bruce patted Damian on his shoulder, “I’ll go talk to him.”

“No,” Damian sighed. “I will speak with him. I owe it to him to tell him why I need to protect him from her influence. Maybe I should talk from the other side of the door. He has a mean left hook.”

Bruce huffed out a chuckle but quickly schooled his expression back to serious. “I didn’t know that Jason remembered Talia. ‘Mama Talia’, excuse me.”

"He mentioned her last year. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

"He doesn't understand that she wants to hand him over your grandfather."

"He only remembers she sang to him."

"Hm."

"She has a nice voice."

"Hm."

"I hope I can get through to him."

"Hm."

"I hope he doesn't hit me again."

"Damian?"

"Yes, Father?"

"You're stalling."

"He broke my nose."

"Damian?"

"Yes. Yes. I know. Go tell the punch happy child that the woman he desperately wants to see would gladly dump him back in a Lazarus pit."

Damian sighed and slipped quietly from the room. 

Bruce didn't hear any furniture break or Jason yell, so he counted that as a win.

  
  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  


Alfred placed a small stack of folios on Bruce’s desk. Each was color coded and carefully organized. 

“These the finalists?” Bruce asked though he already knew. 

“Yes sir, my top three choices for Master Jason’s new nanny.” 

Bruce nodded and picked up the stack. “Do you have a recommendation?”

Alfred shook his head, “I am partial to this one,” Alfred motioned to the top folio. “Though, I believe any would be a good fit.”

Bruce opened the first CV and he was aware of Alfred lingering. 

“Is there something else, Alfred?”

Alfred produced several additional folios and placed them in front of him. “Yes, sir. These are the top contenders to fill my position.”

Bruce’s eyes shot up and he looked distressed. “Alfred?”

Alfred placed a single piece of paper on the desk in front of Bruce. 

“It’s time for me to retire, sir. These old bones can no longer keep up the manor in the way you deserve.”

“Alfred.”

“I will gladly train my replacement and stay on till you are satisfied with their performance.”

Bruce felt the tears pricking his eyes. “Alfred.”

“After that, I formally request to stay and remain a grandfather to the children.”

  
  


Bruce stood and tapped the piece of paper on his desk that read like a formal letter of resignation. Bruce rounded the desk and immediately engulfed Alfred in a strong hug. 

“Of course you can stay. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“I do hope you will refrain from telling the children right away. I would like to tell them in my own time.”

Bruce nodded against Alfred’s shoulder and squeezed him a bit tighter. “I don’t know what I am going to do without you.”

“I’m not going anywhere sir. I’ll be with you always.”

“Always,” he repeated. Bruce released his hold on Alfred but kept his hand on his shoulder. Bruce knew he had tears in his eyes. How could he not? 

“It will be okay, sir.”

“Of course it will. I know it will. I’m just- uh - mentally planning your retirement party.”

“Master Wayne, you will do no such thing. Besides, I expect that my replacement or perhaps even replacements would not be properly trained for at least a year. So we have time, my boy.” 

Bruce raised an eyebrow, “A year?”

“Oh yes, sir. I expect at least that long. I am telling you now so that you have time to process the changes. So much of your life is lived with uncertainty. I know I shall retire. Now you know too.”

Bruce considered the man before him. The man who has been everything that Bruce ever needed. A teacher. A protector. A friend. A confidant. A dissenting voice. An encouragement. A home. A father. A grandfather. Alfred knew what Bruce needed. He knew he needed time. So Alfred gave him time. 

Soon the quiet was disturbed with the sound of the front door slamming. Small feet could be heard coming down the hall.

“We’re home!” Jason yelled. 

Jason rounded the corner to the office and lit up. “Granpa. Granpa. Look! I gotcha the tea you like,” Jason beamed as he held up a small metal tin. 

Alfred reached out for the proffered tin and inspected it. “It seems your afternoon out with Miss Stephanie has been productive.”

Jason held out his arms in the universal ‘pick-me-up’ gesture and Alfred did so. He immediately rested his head on Alfred’s shoulder. Bruce brushed a few strands of hair out of Jason’s eyes and commented, “I think someone is ready for a nap.”

Jason yawned as he denied that he was tired. 

“Come Master Jason, we’ll put the tea in the kitchen and then I will read you a story.”

“The one about the hobbits?”

“Of course.”

Bruce was left alone in his office again. He had a lot he needed to sort out. Thinking back to Alfred’s comment, a year seemed so far away. But then he remembered Jason’s first year and how quickly that passed. He reminded himself that he wasn’t losing Alfred. Not really. But that didn’t make him any less sad. 

**


End file.
